Why We All Need to Stop Using the Term "Anti-Aging"

In our special September issue featuring Helen Mirren, we announced that Allure will no longer use the term "anti-aging" — and we challenged the rest of the beauty industry to do the same. We asked people to stop and consider why we attach a negative connotation to something so completely natural. No, not everything about growing older is necessarily wonderful, but the opportunity to grow older is a wonderful thing, not something to fight.

We embarked on this mission because, as our editor in chief, Michelle Lee, pointed out in her September editor's letter, everyday language is incredibly important — maybe even more than most realize — since it informs how we see the world. Think about the phrase "antifungal spray" or "antivirus software," for example. Nail fungi and computer viruses: bad. Aging, meanwhile? That's a totally normal and inevitable part of life. But that little "anti" we throw in front of it casts aging as this big, bad thing we need to reverse.

Put simply: We're over it. And you know what? It turns out we're far from alone. To celebrate our official ban on a term that's haunted the industry for far too long, we teamed up with a few progressive multihyphenates who happen to be on the same page as us. Our new anti-anti-aging video features 101-year-old author and record-holding runner Ida Keeling (snag her new book here); veteran makeup artist Sandy Linter; actress, supermodel, and gay icon Jenny Shimizu; performance artist Gerry Visco; the activist and writer behind the creative platform MAD FREE, Michaela Angela Davis; and visionary makeup artist Yuui. We asked each of them to talk about their relationship with aging, and — spoiler alert — none of them are against it. Watch the full video, then join us in our movement to end the use of "anti-aging" once and for all. (You'll be surprised at just how easy "pro-aging" rolls off the tongue.)